Tales of Albion
by Sionnach Cliste
Summary: In the years where the people of Albion suffered unter The Court's cruelty, a humble blacksmith and his wife had a boy.  They named him William Black, and he would become the key to save Albion.


_In the days long before the fall of the Old Kingdom, and even before its rise, Albion was a land of beauty and tranquility. Then there came from the Void three beings of great and evil power: the Knight, the Jack, and the Queen of Blades. Together, these beings became known as The Court. They coveted Albion and demanded that all men bow before them._

_When the people of Albion refused, the Court burned Albion until the land was black and charred and the sky was choked with smoke. Again the Court demanded obedience, and again the people refused. As second punishment, the Court raised the seas to meet the sky and flooded the land. For a third time the Court demanded that men worshipped them, and promised to usher in an age of peace and an end to misery. But the few people remaining stood strong against the Court, and rebuked them a third time. So the Court twisted their minds, until brother slew brother, parents abandoned children and friend killed friend. Finally the people of Albion conceded, and bowed to the Court._

_Thus the _Reign of the Court_ began, where the few people who survived – and their descendents – toiled for many years, erecting structures and monuments to glorify those who came from the Void._

_In the days where the people still suffered under The Court's cruelty, a humble blacksmith and his wife had a boy. They named him William Black, and he would become the key to save Albion…_

xXx

The library was dank and dusty. Shelves upon shelves of books sat in place, unused for decades, crying out in vain for someone to come along and pick them up. The only light was the dim flickering of a dancing candle flame, set on a small reading table between two stacks of books.

Had the Court known of this place – this great depository of ancient knowledge, most of which long lost to man – they surely would raze it to the ground with not a moment's hesitation. There was too much here that was dangerous to them; too much that threatened their rule. Within these books were mere words, but those words held power not even the Court could stop.

And so they intrigued young William Black.

He was a tall man, well-muscled and strong. His clothing that of a simple smith. His hair was dark and short, and slick as though licked by a cow. His eyes were a vibrant grey, harsh yet calm. His narrow face was youthful, though set in the scowl of one who is contemplating some great puzzle.

He sat hunched over the reading table, staring intently at his books with that contemplative scowl on his face, his eyelids – heavy with the onset of tiredness – drooping ever-so-slightly now and then. All night he had been reading, and he could now feel the shackles of fatigue tugging down at his limbs. Inhaling sharply, he let out a great yawn, and knew that he would soon have to retire.

And he was still no closer than he'd been when he'd started! Nine hours he had sat there, flipping through endless pages of countless tomes. Yet still he had found nothing regarding the Court or its weaknesses.

And it was his third day of research!

He had great power – this he knew. Since adolescence he had had control over things that amazed and astounded all those around him. When he was but six he had accidentally set his bed on fire with a bolt of lightning. At sixteen, he could move boulders with his _mind_. And as an adult, his powers had only grown that much greater. Compared to any other living person, he was a _god_.

But his power _still_ paled in comparison to that of the Court. To them, he was but a fly amongst maggots. As he was, he could never defeat them. He was too weak!

And so he sat in that secret library, searching through book after book, scroll after scroll – desperate for the slightest hint of how to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the otherworldly beings. Yet so far his search had been fruitless.

Finally, his exhaustion got the best of him, and he decided to call it a night. He closed the book from which he currently read and reached for his candle. As he grasped the holder in his hand, one of the books in his piles caught his eye. He reached instead for the book and inspected it. It was an ancient book, thick and heavy, bound in a thick, worn leather binding. There was no title on the front or the spine, and so he – out of curiosity – opened the tome.

The words were of a strange, alien text; no doubt belonging to some form of dead language. It seemed to be some sort of chant or incantation. With great difficulty, he managed to make out a few scarce words.

"_Void mór agus Uafásach, a sholáthraíonn abhaile go olc, lorg mé do chumhacht_."

As he read the words in the book, they came to life, glowing a bright blue. A great gust of wind flew out of the pages, tossing books and scrolls around the library, and knocking William onto his back. The book's glow brightened until it was blinding, and William had to cover his eyes; but even this did not help, for even when he clenched his eyes shut, the light was still there, unhindered and powerful.

Suddenly, a great force tugged at him, forcing him upright and lifting him off the ground. His limbs began to twist and spin uncontrollably, and his entire body felt like it was being set on fire, turned inside out, and then set on fire again. Finally the agony was too great to bear, and he passed out.

When he came to, he was no longer in the library. Instead he was in…a field…no a cave, no on a mountain, no the sea. All around him, the scenery was in constant change, so that in the instant he knew where he was, he was somewhere else. Or maybe he was in all the places at once. Or maybe…

He shook his head, trying to clear his queasiness. He knew that if he tried to look at this world too long, it would drive him mad, like some sort of eldritch abomination. As he closed his eyes and turned down his head, a low, trembling sound reached his ears.

It was laughter; a cruel, mirthless laughter that chilled William to his very soul. The source of the tortuous sound was the only constant thing in the bizarre landscape: a red-cloaked man sitting upon a grand throne of black stone. In his hand was an ornate sword, and his face was covered by a mask which told William that this could be only one man.

"Jack!" William exclaimed.

"**My, my,**" the demon said, "**this **_**is**_** unexpected! I never thought I'd see a human make his way **_**here**_** of all places."**

"Where am I?" William demanded.

"**You,**" Jack replied, menacingly, "**are in my domain, and as such will show me the utmost respect! And on that note, I believe that it is common courtesy to kneel before one's ruler, no matter where one meets him.**"

"You are not my ruler, demon!"

"**Oh?**" Jack said, amusedly. "**I beg to differ! I am Jack of Blades, one of the Court, a ruler of your pitiful world. And as such, you will **_**kneel**_**.**"

With the last word, a great force pressed down upon William, buckling his knees and almost forcing him to the ground. But he stood strong, refusing to kneel before the demon that sat before him.

"**What's this?**" Jack said. "**You can actually resist? Intriguing. No matter." He stood and raised his blade to William's throat. "You **_**will**_** kneel to me, or I will warp your little mind until you-**"

Quick as lightning, William struck out with a ball of flames from his hand, catching the masked demon off-guard. In the moment he had bought, William grabbed the ornate sword and wrested it from Jack's hands. Jack, recovering instantaneously, glared at William, and lifted his hand.

What Jack did next, William never saw. The second the sword was in his hands, his vision was filled with a familiar blinding light, accompanied by an equally familiar agony in every part of his being. When the feeling passed and his sight cleared, he found himself slumped on the floor of the library. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and then a moment longer to realize that he was safe. After several long seconds, he began to chuckle, and then to laugh. Soon, he was laughing like a madman.

He had survived! He had gone to the Void – a place where no man had ever been to before – and returned! He had come face-to-face with the Jack of Blades himself and made it out alive! And he'd stolen something from him, too. The adrenaline, the euphoria of his encounter was exhilarating!

Speaking of the sword.

He looked down at the blade in his hands. It was an ornate sword, fancy and decoratively made. The pommel seemed to be made of solid gold, but was much stronger. The hilt was wrapped in some sort of strong, yet comfortable, fabric. The cross-guard was covered in a metal of similar coloring, and was embedded with a strange symbol. The blade itself was long and made of some unknown black metal, with a split down its middle.

William admired it, this blade stolen from Jack of Blades, when it fully hit him just what that meant. He, a mere mortal, had stolen from Jack of Blades – a member of _The Court_. He had just spat in the faces of the most powerful beings in all Albion.

His heart lifted with joy.

Nevertheless, the Court would not take this transgression lightly. They would come for him; they would hunt him down and make an example of him to everyone else who would defy them. And he still had no way to combat them.

_You need power._

William shot to his feet, blade at the ready. "Who said that?" he demanded. "Who's there?"

_You are weak, young William. But I can give you the power you need._

"How do you know my name?" William shouted, brandishing the sword. "Show yourself!"

_Not the smartest maggot in the corpse, are you?_

"What?"

_In your hand, smartness._

William stared at the sword in his hand, and suddenly became aware of a…presence the sword possessed. Almost as if it were…

"Impossible…" William whispered.

_You just stole me from the goddamn _Jack _of_ Blades_. Does it _really_ surprise you that I'm in some way magical?_

"Well…_no_, but…" William replied. He was talking to a sword…well, he'd already started, so he might as well go on. "What are you?"

_I am the Sword of Aeons. And you are William Black, a man of great power._

"How-"

_But your power isn't enough, William. You will never defeat the Court as you are now._

"How did you-"

_I have been watching you for a while, William. I believe you have great potential, but without aid, you will never achieve your goal._

"What are you talking about?" William asked, suspicious.

_I can help you, William. I can give you the power you need to destroy the tyrants that rule your land._

"And why would you help me?" William asked. "I stole you from Jack. Aren't you _his_ blade?"

_Yeah, but he's an arse._

"Ah, well, in that case…" William stared at the blade. "So, what do I need to do to get this power you speak of?"

_Nothing much. Just offer your soul to me in bondage._

"Oh, gee, is _that_ all?" William exclaimed, sarcastically. "Here I was worried it might be something serious."

_Look, only by binding your soul with me can you gain full control over me. Likewise, by binding myself with a soul as powerful as yours, I will gain even greater power._

"Then why didn't you bind yourself to Jack?"

_Like I said, he's an arse. Besides, he may be devious and cunning, but I imagine eternity with him would get boring fast._

"…there's something you're not telling me," William observed. "There's another reason you want me to bind my soul with you. What is it?"

…_I'm lonely._

"…Okaay, good enough for me, I guess." William sighed. "So, how do we do this?"

_I can only bind with your soul if you are willing. Are you, with not a single doubt in your heart, prepared to do this?_

William thought a moment. His whole life, he had searched for a way to destroy the Court. He had been obsessed with it, making it the sole purpose of his existence. He had sacrificed everything he'd had to find a way to overthrow the tyrants and bring prosperity to Albion. The answer was clear.

"Yes."

The instant the word left his lips, he felt a great tug at his skin, and something forced its way out of him. The skin of his hand that held the Sword of Aeons split open, and his blood spilled onto the handle and flowed up the blade. At the same time, multi-colored light flowed from the blade and into his veins.

He screamed. Not in fear, and not in pain, but in ecstasy. It felt like his veins were filling with hot magma. His spine felt like it had lightning running up it. Blue markings began to appear on his skin, glowing brightly. He felt a part of his consciousness expand, and he suddenly _knew_.

What he'd had before hadn't been power. _This_ was power.

The power to destroy the Court.

xXx

Mount Ruon, Albion's tallest mountain. It was visible for miles, stretching up almost high enough to touch the clouds. Only the most foolish men would scale this mountain, said to be home to the Court itself. And even if it weren't, it would surely take someone at least six days to climb to the summit.

It took William one.

He was barely tired by the time he reached the top. In fact, he felt warmed up by the climb. He was somewhat surprised to discover that the top of the mountain was flat, like a plateau. In several places, there were stone pillars three times his height, but they were mostly worn away. In the center of the flat area, three stone thrones sat in a circle.

William approached the thrones and stood in the center of the circle. Drawing the Sword of Aeons, he lifted his face to the sky above and bellowed his challenge.

"Jack, Knight, Queen!" he shouted. "Fiendish tyrants who rule this land! I, William Black, son of Albion, have come to slay you! Show your faces, unless you are cowards!"

_Can you say 'ham'?_

William ignored the blade. For several moments he waited, expecting a response. When nothing happened, he was somewhat disappointed. He had been sure that the Court would react in _some_ way, even if it was just blowing him up. For them to just sit back and ignore a challenge-

William spun around, and raised his blade in time to block a blow to his head. He hopped back, giving himself some breathing room, and allowing him to examine his enemy.

The man – or thing – was massive, a full foot taller than William. He was bare-chested, and barefoot, wearing nothing but tattered pants, a red hood, and a horrifying mask. Two glowing red orbs stared out from under the mask. In each hand he carried a massive, deformed axe made of twisted black metal.

_The Knight of Blades. Be wary of this one, William. He is powerful beyond measure, and is obsessed with combat…and he never bathes._

"**Ah-ha! Good, you dodged!**" the Knight laughed. His voice was deep and distorted, and sounded like the grinding of two swords against one another. "**I was worried you might not even be worth my time, but it seems you have at least some small measure of skill!**"

"I have enough skill to kill you and your ilk," William said, menacingly.

The Knight laughed again. "**I hope you are as strong as you claim, mortal! It would be such a shame to discover that you are as weak as all the others!**"

With that the Knight leapt at William, bringing down one of his massive axes at the smaller man's head. William, seeing that blocking would be too costly, ducked to the side, avoiding the strike. The Knight reacted immediately, sweeping his second axe towards William, who blocked the attack. The force jarred his body, but he stood his ground.

The next blow went wide, leaving the Knight's chest exposed. William took the advantage and slashed the warrior across the torso and forcing him to stagger back. Rather than show any indication to pain, the Knight instead began to laugh.

"**Good, good! You **_**are**_** skilled!**" he exclaimed, happily. "**You can cut me, something no other mortal can do! Come on, then! What else can you do? Show me your strength!**"

He leapt again, slashing with both axes. William ducked under the attack, so that he was right in front of the Knight, and raised his fist into the larger warrior's chin. The Knight staggered back, and in the moment that he was stunned, William slashed at his left arm, making him drop one of his axes. William threw fire at the weapon, and it dissolved into flames.

"**Ah! You have destroyed one of my axes!**" the Knight exclaimed. "**Good! That will make the fight more enjoyable!**"

This time, William made the first move, throwing lightning at the giant. The blue bolts crackled and danced across the Knight's chest. The Knight grunted and toppled back, but in a moment he was up again, laughing like a maniac.

_William, you must end this quickly! The longer this fight drags on, the more dangerous the Knight will become. He's probably holding back right now so the fight will last longer. You must kill him now, before he fights all-out!_

William silently agreed with his companion. The Knight seemed completely unaffected by his injuries, and with every wound the warrior got, he only got more excited and more dangerous. William had to end the fight now.

He gathered power in his palm and shot lightning at the Knight, momentarily stunning the huge man. He shot forward, blade raised, and stabbed the Sword of Aeons into the Knight's chest. The Knight stared at him for a moment, and then began laughing once more, raising his remaining axe.

Then his laughing stopped, as did his axe, as red fire flowed from William to the Sword and into the Knight's chest. The Knight's eyes dimmed, and his arms slumped slightly.

William reached up and removed the Knight's mask. He didn't react to the face underneath – he'd expected a demon. Instead he spat in it. Then he blasted the Knight with magic, sending the dead warrior tumbling down the mountainside. He smiled as his foe disappeared over the edge of the plateau.

"**Well done, mortal,**" a familiar voice said from behind him. He turned slowly to face the Jack of Blades. "**I never thought I'd see the day the Knight was bested in straight combat.**"

"Miss me, Jack?"

"**Actually, I **_**was**_** looking forward to tearing your mind apart,**" Jack replied. "**I don't take kindly to being stolen from.**"

"And _I_ don't take kindly to having some demon assholes enslaving my people," William spat.

"**You seem to be under the impression that I care what you think. I do not. Now, I believe you have something that belongs to me.**"

_Go to hell._

"Go to hell," William echoed, dropping into a defensive stance. Jack sighed.

"**Very well,**" the demon said. "**But remember that you brought this upon yourself.**"

Jack raised his hand, and blue light shot forth, catching William full-on in the chest. William was tossed backwards, and slid towards the edge. He stopped just short of the edge and forced himself to his feet. He raised his sword in time to block the next blast, but the force nearly threw him over the edge. The next blast came, and this time he deflected it so that it wouldn't drive him back any further.

As Jack prepared another blast, William threw fire at his foe, lighting the demon up like a candle. Despite being engulfed in flame, Jack seemed unaffected, and threw another magical blast. William dodged to the side and charged forward, slashing at Jack. Black blood flew from the demon's chest as the Sword of Aeons cut a deep trench in his flesh. With a yelp of pain, Jack hopped back and threw magic.

William, unable to raise his sword in time and unable to dodge, raised his hand to defend himself. To his surprise – and Jack's horror – the ball of magic didn't incinerate his hand on contact. William closed his hand around the ball, and it fizzled out. He looked at his hand, and winced slightly when he saw that his palm was slightly scorched.

"…**what ARE you?**" Jack gasped. William looked up, and took a step towards his foe.

"I am a son of Albion, whose people you have enslaved and tormented."

He took another step.

"From your tyranny, those people have grown to hate and despise you and your wicked kind."

Another step.

"I am the embodiment of that hatred."

Another step.

"They cry out for freedom. I am their answer."

Step.

"I am William Black, the one who will destroy the Court and bring prosperity to Albion!"

With one swift motion, he raised the Sword of Aeons and cut through Jack's midsection. Before the demon could react, William covered him in flames. After that, the young warrior shot lightning at his foe. Jack let out a wordless scream, and then collapsed. William stared at the corpse, breathing heavily.

…_wow…that was…that was just a narm-tastic speech you gave, Will._

"Shut up," William laughed. "That's two. Now all that remains is…"

He turned around slowly, already knowing she was behind him. There she stood, wrapped in black armor, a red cloak covering her head and shoulders. In one hand, she held a black sword, which was pointed at William. On her face was, of course, a white mask, decorated with ornate drawings. Behind the mask, two golden eyes glared at William.

"I've been expecting you," William said.

"**You…have slain my comrades,**" the Queen said, slowly. Her voice, though distorted like Jack's and the Knight's, was much softer than William had been expecting.

"Yeah, and you're next," William replied. The Queen's eyes narrowed.

"**Do not presume that you will defeat me, mortal,**" she warned. "**I will concede that you have great power, but you have not beaten me yet.**"

"I beat the other two easily enough. I think maybe you shouldn't refer to me as 'mortal', seeing as how I've proved you and your friends to be."

"**Part of what you say is true. Very well, I shall grant your request. Henceforth, I will call you by name, Sir Willaim.**"

"Thank you," William said, grinning. "Might I ask _your_ name?"

"**I do not have one.**"

"That's a shame. Might I ask something else, then?" he asked. The Queen nodded. "You said part of what I said is true. What parts weren't?"

"**Two. First, you claimed to have proven I am mortal. This is not true. You only proved that the Knight and Jack were mortal. Assuming that I am mortal is jumping to a conclusion.**"

"Fair enough," William conceded.

"**I will, however, admit that I may not survive this encounter,**" the Queen said, somewhat quietly. "**But it is more likely that it will be you who dies.**"

"Okay, what's the second part?"

"**They were not my friends.**"

"…pardon?"

"**Though the Knight and Jack were comrades of mine, they were far from my friends. The Knight was a creature wholly obsessed with battle, and Jack was a manipulative, self-serving fiend.**" The Queen sighed lightly. "**Nevertheless, they were my comrades, and I will avenge their deaths, if I can.**"

William stared at the person before him, uncertain. The Queen was completely unlike his expectations. He had anticipated a wicked, sadistic creature who would revel at being the only one left with any power.

_Often, the true nature of people is surprising. I know little of the Queen, save that she is the most powerful of the Court. Be ready, Will. This will be the most difficult fight._

"**Your sword is right, William. I hope you are ready, whatever may come.**"

…_Oh, shit, she can hear me?_

"Quiet time," William muttered. "So, are you going to make a move or not?"

"**You are the one who came here for a fight.**"

"Right, I'm the one who issued the challenge. So you get the first move."

The Queen was silent for a moment, and then sighed. "**I do not think I will enjoy this victory. Very well, then. Prepare yourself!**"

The Queen flickered, and then was right in front of William, sword aimed at his throat. William deflected the blow, and struck out with his fist. His fist connected with her stomach, and she doubled over. Before he could strike again, she hopped to the side and lashed out. William ducked and then slashed upwards as he rose. The Queen blocked his attack and forced him backwards.

It was going to be a long fight.

xXx

He grabbed her by her cloak and threw her to the ground. He brought down his sword, but she rolled to the side, and the Sword of Aeons cut a massive trench in the ground. She hopped to her feet and brought her fist into his stomach. He caught her hand and brought his forehead down into hers. She staggered back, but was able to defend against his next attack.

For weeks their battle had raged. Their blows formed mountains and cut valleys, shaping Albion itself. Both William and the Queen were beginning to tire, and both showed it. Nevertheless, neither side showed any sign of winning.

Then William broke the Queen's guard, and managed to throw her back. Before she could recover, William gathered his most powerful fireball and cast the magical flames onto his foe. The Queen screamed in agony as the flames washed over her. Quickly, she dispelled the flames, but the damage had been done.

Her armor melted and slid off of her, and her cloak dissolved to nothingness, leaving her almost naked, save for a few pieces of metal and cloth that hung limply on her frame. She was slender, but her muscles were well toned. Her skin was a light peach color, soft and smooth.

William didn't give her a chance to recover. Before she was even back on her feet, he tackled her to the ground and began to pummel her face. One of his blows knocked her mask off and sent it flying. This time, William couldn't help but pause.

She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Beyond anything he had ever laid eyes upon. Her face, though covered in bruises, was curved and soft. Her sharp chin bore a rather brutal cut, as did her round cheeks. Scarlet hair fell across her features, obscuring her left eye. But her right eye, a brilliant golden honey color, glared angrily up at him.

William hesitated only a moment, but that was all the Queen needed. She blasted magic at him, sending him flying back. He swatted at the blue flames now eating at his chest, putting them out quickly. He grunted painfully as he forced himself to his feet. The Queen was doing the same, and William used the opportunity to strike. Lightning flew from his hands to her face, and she fell back, screaming.

William grabbed the Sword of Aeons and charged forward. The Queen looked up and raised her sword to block…and realized it wasn't there.

The blade slid through her body like a knife through butter. She grunted quietly as the sword sank up to the hilt, and then again as William withdrew it.

She looked up at him, and smiled lightly.

"**Looks like you win.**"

She fell backwards, but before she hit the ground, William caught her. She stared at him in surprise, and then smiled.

"**Well aren't you the gentleman?**" she said weakly. William stared at her intently.

"Against my better judgment, yes," William replied, smiling tightly.

The Queen sighed, then looked up at the sky. It was almost dawn. "**This really is a beautiful world, you know.**"

"…yeah, it is."

"**You were in the Void, weren't you? That's where you got Jack's sword.**"

"Yeah, I saw it."

Her eyes met his. "**Then you can see why, can't you? Why we did what we did?**"

"…yeah," William said. "Yeah, I understand."

"**The Void was all we knew. Your world is so beautiful, so wondrous. When we saw it, we had to make it ours.**"

"Then why set it ablaze?"

The Queen shook her head. "_**We**_** did not. The Knight did that, and only because Jack persuaded him to. The Knight did not care if people obeyed us. In fact, I think he would have preferred it if they fought us. He would have enjoyed the fighting.**"

"I see…then the flood was you putting out the flames, wasn't it?"

"…**Maybe I overdid it a bit,**" she said, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, _maybe_," William said, doing the same.

"**I tried to offer the mortals peace. I feared that Jack's punishment would be worse than the Knight's.**"

"And they rejected your offer."

"**At least he did not harm the land. Still…**" she trailed off. "**Sir William?**"

"Just call me William."

The Queen smiled, sincerely this time. "**Very well then, William. I know I have no right, but…I want ask a favor of you.**"

"…You're right," William said. "You don't have any right to ask me a favor...what is it?"

"**The sun will be rising soon,**" she said. "**I want…I would like to see it one last time.**"

William stared at her for a moment, and then nodded. "I can do that."

He lifted her up and carried her to the highest hill. From the top of the hill, they had a clear view of the horizon, which was already starting to grow orange from the rising sun. They watched in silence as the yellow ball slowly rose, lighting up the valleys and hills wrought from the battle.

William heard a light whimper, and looked down to see that the Queen was crying silently, a small smile upon her lips. It was strange, watching his enemy in such a state. His whole life had been devoted to killing her, and now here she lay dying in his arms.

And instead of joy, he felt sadness.

"**It is so very beautiful,**" she whispered. She laid her head against William's chest. "**Thank you, William.**"

"…you're welcome," William muttered.

"…**You do not seem nearly as happy as you should be,**" the Queen observed. "**You should be overjoyed.**"

"I should, shouldn't I?"

"**So why are you not?**"

William considered the question for a moment, and came up blank.

"I don't know," he confessed. "Maybe because…because this is all I've had. All I've had to look forward to my whole life. Now I have nothing."

The Queen was quiet for a moment. Then she wrapped her arms around his head and brought his head down to meet hers.

And kissed him.

It was brief, and was so sudden that William didn't have time to register it properly. As quickly as it started, it ended as the Queen broke her face from his. He stared at her in shock, mouth gaping open and closed like a fish. Then he felt it. A slight tingle in his lips that spread to the rest of his face, down his neck, and into the rest of his body. His wounds closed shut with a warm, tingling sensation, leaving no scars. His stamina returned, and he felt stronger.

"You…what…why…?" he stuttered.

"**I love this world,**" she explained, smiling gently. "**You are its protector now. So now I pass on to you what little remains of my power.**"

"O…kay…" William said unsurely. "I didn't realize that has to be done through the lips."

The Queen's smile widened slightly. "**It does not.**"

"…I'll take good care of Albion," he promised. "I'll keep it safe with every fiber of my being."

"**Thank you,**" the Queen said, so quietly that William almost didn't hear her. "**Thank you, William. I hope you have a happy life.**"

Her eyes closed shut, her breathing ceased, and William felt her heart stop beating. He stared for a moment at her face, wondering at how it could be so peaceful. He stared at her for a while.

And then he set to work.

xXx

He stared at the grave, the one set on the hill, the one he had dug. He stared at the headstone, which bore no epitaph.

_Did she really deserve such a burial?_

"I thought it would be nice," William replied. "I think she would've liked being able to become one with the world she loved so much."

_Yeah, it's sweet and all, but…did she deserve it?_

"…Do you care?"

_No, but you do. Perhaps more than you admit._

"I know what you're implying, and I'm not going to dignify it with a response."

_You don't have to, I already know. I'm bound to your soul, remember._

"Then no words need be spoken."

_I guess I understand. After all, this was an obsession of yours, right? After so long, it seems it became more than just an obsession._

"Quiet time now."

_No matter. You know what must be done now._

"…Yes, I do."

He knelt, setting down the flowers he had gathered. Then he stood, turned, and walked away from the grave.

The Court had been overthrown. Albion had been freed. Now it needed guidance. It needed a leader.

William Black hoped he was up to the task.

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed this. Seeing as how Fable ! is coming out in a few months, you can expect to see another Fable fic before October. Hope you fans out there pre-ordered your copies! I'm gonna go watch the trailer again! GOD that music is bloody EPIC!_


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